State and local governments may lease land for installing, maintaining, and operating EVSE or electric vehicle battery exchange stations for up to 50 years for at least $1 per year. Additionally, the installation of battery charging and exchange stations is categorically exempt from the Washington Environmental Policy Act. (Reference Revised Code of Washington 79.13.100 and 43.21C.410)

PEV infrastructure is defined as structures, machinery, and equipment necessary and integral to support a PEV, including battery charging stations, rapid charging stations, and battery exchange stations. A battery charging station is defined as an electrical component assembly or cluster of component assemblies designed specifically to charge batteries within a PEV. A rapid charging station is defined as an industrial grade electrical outlet that allows for faster recharging of PEV batteries through higher power levels. A battery exchange station is defined as a fully automated facility that will enable a PEV with a swappable battery to enter a drive lane and exchange the depleted battery with a fully charged battery through a fully automated process. Infrastructure must meet or exceed any applicable state building standards, codes, and regulations. (Reference Revised Code of Washington 19.27.540, 19.28.281, and 47.80.090)

Jurisdictions must develop regulations to allow the use of PEV infrastructure and battery charging stations in all areas except critical areas or areas zoned for residential or resource use. The Washington Department of Commerce included a model ordinance, development regulations, and guidance for local governments for site assessment and installing PEV infrastructure in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: A Guide for Local Governments in Washington State. This requirement applies to jurisdictions that meet specific location criteria and is contingent upon federal funding. Additionally, cities or municipalities may adopt incentive programs to encourage retrofitting of existing structures capable of charging PEVs. (Reference Revised Code of Washington 35.63.126, 35.63.127, 35A.63.107, 36.70.695, 36.70A.695, and 43.31.970)

Except for cars operated by the state patrol, Washington state agencies replacing the tires on their vehicles must use tires with the same or better rolling resistance as the original tires. (Reference Revised Code of Washington 43.19.648)

The Washington Joint Transportation Committee (Committee), in coordination with the Washington Department of Transportation, local governments, and industry stakeholders, evaluated the current status of EVSE in Washington and made recommendations for potential business models for financially-sustainable EVSE deployment. For more information, including a copy of the interim and final report, see the Committee website.

The Washington Office of the Governor established a work group to assess the state government's role in cultivating the safe development of automated vehicles. The work group includes representatives from the Washington Departments of Transportation, Commerce, and Labor, as well as the Washington State Patrol, Traffic Safety Commission, and the Governor's Office. The group will collaborate with industry representatives, stakeholders, and government representatives, to request updates on autonomous vehicle pilot programs and inform proposed changes to policies, rules, and statutes within the state. (Reference Executive Order 17-02, 2017)

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) will work with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to select projects and distribute funding to leverage 15% of Washington's portion of the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund for the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging infrastructure.

Ecology will establish a competitive process to identify and select projects to fund with the remaining 85% of the appropriation to maximize total air pollution reduction and health benefits, improve air quality in areas disproportionately affected by air pollution, leverage additional matching funds, achieve substantial emission reduction beyond what would occur absent the funding, accelerate fleet turnover to the cleanest engines, and accelerate adoption of electric vehicles, equipment, and vessels. As appropriate, Ecology will work with WSDOT to select projects and distribute funding. For more information, see Ecology's Volkswagen Federal Enforcement Action website.